There was quite an interesting article in the Sunday Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Business Section on Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp. In addition to interviewing the current president, Steven P Richman, the article provided a brief history of Milwaukee, and its current operations.

I confess that I have bought Milwaukee Tools in the past, as I was under the mistaken impression that I was supporting a local business ----- I was Wrong !

From the company's website I found out that Milwaukee Tools have not been made here in years:

FROM THE COMPANY WEBSITE:

"The 1960's and 1970's were good years for Milwaukee, and resulted in expansion of both manufacturing facilities andproduct lines.

In 1965, the company moved from its State Street location, in the City of Milwaukee, to its modern212,000 square-foot manufacturing and office facility in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

In 1974, the desire to be closer to an important and emerging market in the Southeast resulted in the building ofMilwaukee's first facility outside of Wisconsin - a 60,000 square-foot manufacturing plant in Jackson, Mississippi. WithAmstar's acquisition of Milwaukee in 1976, the company expanded further adding a manufacturing plant in Blytheville,Arkansas, supported by a large distribution center in Olive Branch, Mississippi.

In 1995 an additional 75,000 square foot manufacturing plant was added in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Milwaukee opened a 100,000 square-foot manufacturing plant in Greenwood, Mississippi in 2002 and later that year completed a 50,000 square-foot expansion for increased production capabilities."

ACCORDING TO THE MJS ARTICLE:

"It's last vestiges of manufacturing left (Wisconsin) in 2004 when saw blade production went to Mississippi........ Brookfield had some 700 employees in the 90's and now has fewer than 400".

"2008: Techtronic opens the most modern manufacturing facility in all of China for power tools; closes plants in Arkansas and Kociusko, Mississippi."

I thought it was noteworthy that despite all the talk that is given about manufacturing leaving the United States, and that our students need to get into engineering and the like to have jobs in the USA, most of Milwaukee's Engineering Jobs seem to be in China !!!

I wonder how long it will be before the Chinese transfer all the rest of the engineering and executive jobs from Brookfield, WI to China ....... if you work for Milwaukee Tool in Brookfield now, you just might want to start taking Chinese language lessons.

In the future when I am in the market for power tools, I am going Black & Decker & DeWalt (DeWalt is owned by B&D), at least they have a plant in Beloit, WI.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ? YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOME !

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